All set for Wanni liberation

Two years have lapsed already from date; the LTTE came out with the first serious onslaught on the Security Forces after the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement and immediately after President Mahinda Rajapaksa became the President in November 2005.

The LTTE which engaged in a stealth war against the Security Forces under the cover of the Ceasefire Agreement, on December 04, 2005 came out with their first claymore attack targeting the Security Forces in Jaffna.

Ten soldiers attached to the 51-1 Brigade at Atchuveli were killed as the tractor they were travelling in got caught to a claymore mine near Kondavil.

There was no apparent reason from the side of the LTTE to launch such an attack targeting the Security Forces since Prabhakaran in his so-called annual speech , made on November 27, 2005 had already conveyed the message that the LTTE was willing to give a reasonable time frame for President Rajapaksa to make peace initiatives to revive the faltering peace process.

Just 48 hours after the first incident in Kondavil the LTTE again came out almost with an identical one killing at least seven soldiers at Irupalai, five Kilometres, North East of Jaffna. The incident took place as Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka was assuming duties at the Army Headquarters in Colombo.

LTTE's provocation act

The incidents that followed were basically provocative acts of the LTTE who underestimated the level of patience of the Rajapaksa administration and also the level of commitment shown towards the continuation of the peace process.

The level of patience of the present administration exceeded only when the LTTE made an aborted attempt to take the life of Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka on April 25, 2006 inside the Army Headquarters.

No guns were pointed at any of the LTTE hideouts in the North East until they made a wrong move on April 25, 2005 in the game of peace with the Sri Lankan Government.

Tigers dragged Govt. to war

But many diplomats and also analysts believe that the war against terrorism should have been commenced when Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated. But this is not the time to repent on past errors.

But the air strikes on Sampur were not the start of the game of war between the LTTE and the present administration. Again it was the LTTE which dragged this Government into a war against the LTTE, with the closure of the Mavil Aru anicut.

The massacre in Kebithigollewa, the attempts to attack unarmed troops carrying vessels Green Ocean and Jet Liner, the incident at Digampatana may fill hundreds gaps to indicate why the Government had to respond militarily towards the terror acts of the LTTE.

These facts have been conveniently forgotten by the present day critics who so harshly criticize the present administration, for its militaristic approach to tame the LTTE in their bid to see an end to the North East problem.

Crocodile tears over CFA

These critics shed crocodile tears over the Ceasefire Agreement which is now in shambles with the escalation of violence between the Security Forces and the LTTE.

It is now time for the LTTE leader Prabhakaran to think whether he has been benefited by the moves made by him to checkmate the present administration locally and internationally by means of terrorism.

Has he been able to keep his past reputation in facing the Security Forces is a question that has to be answered by Prabhakaran himself.

He has lost many of his soldiers, fortresses, bishops in his chess game to checkmate the present administration. Now he has to continue his game, confining to a limited number of square kilometres inside Wanni.

There is no way out for him as his limited hideouts too come under Air Force attacks. The recent reports that Prabhakaran has been wounded in an air raid on one of his hideouts in Jayathinagar, Kilinochchi on November 26 and 28 has been confirmed by the defence authorities.

Finally it indicates that it was the Prabhakaran who is going to be checkmated not the Government since he is left with limited moves to make in the game of war if it is compared to a game of chess.

Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran who always issues death warrants on the lives of other people, for the first time sniffed death on November 26 when the SLAF carried out yet another air raid targeting him.

The SLAF received reliable information about four to five locations where Tiger leader Prabhakaran was moving on his birthday.

The MiGs and Kfirs that went into action took a precise target north of Kilinochchi in Jayanthinagar around 5.25 p.m. on November 25. They carried out the air raid using a increased number of bombs sufficient to destroy the type of hard bunker where Tiger leader Prabhakaran usually hides.

The pilots who carried out the task observed that anti air craft guns at the location were activated once the target was hit precisely. That confirmed that the Tiger leader was definitely there at the time of the air raid.

200 guards around him

The Tiger leader has around 200 guards around him all the time. The SLAF has received reliable information that 116 of Prabhakaran's bodyguards also perished in the air raid.

Though there was no intelligence report about the exact damages caused due to the air raid the SLAF observed that the area was completely sealed off by the LTTE after the air raid and continued another air raid on the same target on November 28 too.

According to information available the LTTE removed rubble from the location to save the life of Prabhakaran who had been trapped inside a destroyed bunker.

Fractures on arm and leg, to diabetic

Intelligence reports indicate that the top Tiger has sustained injuries or fractures in his arm and a leg.

Since the Tiger leader is already suffering from diabetes the situation has got worse and the LTTE is making attempts to evacuate him to a foreign country for further treatment. Now he has lost many of his comrades and left with only handful number of soldiers with him to fight the final battle in the Wanni against any intrusion by the Security Forces.

This is in the backdrop of strengthened manpower of the Security Forces who are now waiting to make inroads to Wanni to liberate the remaining civilian population from the clutches of the LTTE. Back into the real situation the Security Forces have been able to weaken the many of the LTTE FDLs in the Wanni by killing at least ten Tiger cadres operating in the FDLs on a daily basis.

Therefore, the Tiger leadership is compelled to recruit each and every able man and woman in the Wanni to guard their military installations and also their FDLs.

More than 600 Tigers killed

According to figures available with the Security Forces more than 600 Tiger cadres have been killed in the Wanni FDLs come under the 57 offensive division which is engaged in pre-emptive operation ahead of the Security Forces FDLs.

This number is very much high with the number of Tiger cadres killed at the hand of the Special Forces and Commando troops independently operating in the Wanni FDLs between Mannar and Vavuniya.

In the latest confrontation, Army troops yesterday took control over LTTE side of the Uyilankulam checkpoint in Mannar after launching an attack around 10 a.m.

At least eight terrorists were killed and twelve others were injured due to Army fire. Seven LTTE bunkers were also destroyed by the Army troops during this confrontation. During exchange of fire one solider was killed and six others were injured.

Later in the afternoon a group of Tiger cadres attached to Charles Anthony Brigade made an attempt to recapture the bunker line in the checkpoint but fled the area due to retaliatory fire of the Army. Subsequently troops captured four more bunkers at the checkpoint.

But Prabhakaran, it seems Prabhakaran is making every attempt to stop this move of the Security Forces as it would mark the end of his existence since the only lifeline available with him is the Tamil Diaspora which is funding the terror operation of the LTTE.

But he is not willing to bow his head and enter the path of peace. He is ready to even prey on the remaining population in Wanni for his survival, without an iota of respect for the lives of these innocent civilians.

Security Forces while making every attempt to take full control of the Wanni in the bid to liberate the people from the iron grip of Prabhakaran, are making every attempt eliminate Prabhakaran from the scene as they believe that will make their efforts of eliminating terrorism from the Sri Lankan soils.

So it is now high time for the Tiger leader Prabakaran to flash back on past errors which had backfired on him by pushing the present Government towards the military path and think seriously about engaging in genuine peace efforts with the Government as his life is at risk at the hand of the Security Forces.

The Security Forces who are now engaged in search operations have been convinced that the Tiger team operating inside the Yala National park is directly handled by the LTTE Wanni leadership to destabilize the Southern security situation.

The ongoing investigations have confirmed that the troops who confronted a group of LTTE cadres in Debaraduwa 30 km away from Yala on December 11, was a part of the group who attacked the Thalgasmankada Army detachment on October 15 killing seven soldiers there.

The Tiger cadre 'Maliyan' who is now under detention has identified the female Tiger cadre whose body was recovered by the Security Forces after Debaraduwa confrontation was Valarmadhi who operated with the group launched attack on Thalgasmankada Army detachment.

Maliyan was arrested recently when he was attempting to flee from the group operating inside the Yala National Park.

Maliyan has recognized Valarmadhi who is a member of the Malathi regiment which is operating in Wanni under the command of Vidusha but not a member of two women regiments 'Maduna' and 'Anbarasi' which were operated in the East after her body was shown to him.

According to investigation the group operating in Yala was operating under the command of Ram who had fled to Kanchikudichchiaru jungles after Thoppigala was fallen to the hands of the Security Forces.

Later he has sent two groups to Southern part of the country under the directive from Wanni to destabilize the situation there in the South.

Public should act responsibly

A large quantity of food items recovered inside the Yala National Park indicates that the group was planning to operate inside the jungle for a long period.

It seems they have received these food stocks with the help of civilians living around the Yala National Park.

Intercepted communications of this LTTE group indicate that though they are not willing to operate in the area as they are facing difficulties in getting supplies, they have been given strict instruction from the Wanni leadership to remain there and continue their operations.

Therefore, it has become vital factor for them to get food supplies from the area itself if they are to continue their operations.

Otherwise they will have to leave the area short of their expectations. The Security Forces expect public to act responsibly at this decisive stage by not providing any material for unidentified people in the area.